Disconnecting switch



March 16 1926.

A. H. BAKK-EN DISCONNECTING SWITCH Filed Nov. 5, 1 22 m fi .m 4 m W J n ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

, UNITED stares 1,576,708 earner QFIFICE."

ANDREW H. BAKKEN OF EDGEWQOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO VEST- ING'HOUSE ELECTRIC 85 MANUFACTURING CQMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

DISCONNECTING SWITCH.

Application filed November 3, 1922. Serial No. 598,723.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW H. BAKKEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in Disconnecting Switches, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to disconnecting switches and particularly to latches and operating mechanisms therefor.

One object of my invention is the provision, in a disconnecting switch provided with a latch, of means for moving the latch out of the path of travel of the movable contact member, when the switch is being closed to prevent wear upon the movable switch member.

Another object of my invention is the provision of means whereby, upon the operation of a latch lever, the movable switch member will be disengaged from the latch and moved to open position.

A further object of my invention is the provision of latch members and operating mechanism of such form that they may be applied to either single or double-throw switches and may serve either to clear the path of a switch blade, when it is being moved to closed position, or to clear such path to permit movement of the blade to open position.

Still another object of my invent-ion 1s to simplify and improve generally the construction of disconnecting switches.

As shown in. the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a view, in side elevation, of a switch embodying my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1. y 1

Theswitch is supported from msulating pillars 8, by means of brackets 4, and consists of plates 5, 6 and 7 that support the usual terminal members and switch jaws.

A. hinge jaw 8, of usual construction, is secured to the plate 6 and has a blade member 9 pivotally supported therein. The blade member 9 is of the double-throw type and, in one position, engages a break jaw 10, while, in its other position, it engages a break jaw 11.

A guide member 12 is mounted upon each of the plates 5 and 7 and is providedwith a base portion having a recess 13 for the reception of a compression spring 14. A latch 15 is pivotally supported upon the base portion of the guide member 12 and is provided with a recess 16 into which the outer end of the spring 1st extends. I

Latch levers 18 and 19 are pivotally sup- 6'0 ported at opposite edgesof the blade 9 and are each beveled on one side, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. j

It will be seen that, upon movement of the blade to closed position with respect to the break jaw 10, the outer end of the latch lever 18 will move the latch 15 against the compression of the spring 14 and out ofthe path ofthe advancing blade 9. lVhen the outer end of the lever 18 has reached the position indicated more clearly in Fig. 2, the latch 15 will snap into the position indicated in Fig. 2, in which position a shoulder por tion 20 thereof will prevent accidental movement of the blade to open position. This action of the latch lever 18 relieves the blade of the wear that would ordinarily take place thereupon'by reason of friction be tween the relatively soft material of which blades are usually made and the latch 15.

When it is desired to open the switch, ahook stick (not shown) is inserted in the hook portion of the lever 19. A pull upon the hook stickwill turn the lever 19 in a clockwise'direction, causing it tomove the S latch 15 out ofengagement with the blade 9, and a further pull upon the lever 19 will carry the blade 9 to open position. Here, again, it will be seen that no substantial friction or wear occurs between the-blade 9 and the latch 15. j Y

The beveled form of the lever 18 permits it to pass the shoulder portion 20 of the latch 15, while at the sametime it has sufli cient thickness to cam the latch 15 open sufficiently to allow the blade 9 to pass freely when being moved to the position shown in Fig. 2.

hen the blade 9v is moved' into engage ment with the break jaw 11, the reverse of the operation just described occurs. That is, the latch 19 serves to clear the way for the movement of the blade to closed position and the lever 18 disengages the blade from the latch that is mounted adjacent to the jaw 11. r

The member 12 functions in the usual manner as a guide and positioning device.

The latch levers 18 and 19 may be used either singly or in combination and may be employed c.1332" on single or double throw switches.

Various modifications in detail and gen eral arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a double-throw switch comprising a hinge jaw, two oppositely disposed stationary contact members and a switch blade, of a pair of latch levers disposed longitudinally of the blade and pivotally supported adjacent to one end thereof, a latch pivotally mounted adjacent.

to each of the stationary contact members and normally yieldingly held in locking position, and means whereby the latch is retracted by one of the levers upon move ment of the blade to closed position to per mit free passage of the blade.

2. The combination with a double-throw switch comprising a hinge jaw, two oppositely disposed stationary contact mem bers and a switch blade, of a pair of latch levers disposed longitudinally of the blade and pivotally supported adjacent to one end thereof, a latch mounted adjacent to each of the stationary contact members and normally yieldingly held in looking position. and means whereby the latch is retracted by one of the levers upon movement of the blade to closed position, a; permit free pas sage of the blade.

3. The combination with a movable switch member, and a support of a latch for the switch member movably carried by the support therefor and means secured to the switch member and movable with respect thereto for moving the latch out of the path of movement of the said switch member when the switch member approaches its closed position.

4. The combination with a pivoted switch member, and a support of a latch for the switch member movably carried by the sup port therefor, of means pivotally secured to the switch member carried by the blade for temporarily moving the latch out of the path of the switch member as such member approaches its closed position and for permitting the latch member to lock the said member in closed position, and means pivotally secured to the movable switch member for disengaging the latch when movement is imparted to the said means to move the said switch member to open position.

5. The combination with a double-throw switch embodying a blade member, of op positely disposed latches for holding the blade member in either of its closed posi' tions, latch levers mounted at opposite edges of the blade adjacei'lt to its outer end, and means whereby one of the levers, when the blade is being moved in one direction, serves to temporarily move the one latch out of the path of the blade and means whereby the said lever, when the switch is in its opposite closed position, serves to move the other latch to release position with respect to the blade.

6. The combination with a double-throw switch comprising a hinge-jaw member, two

oppositely disposed break jaw members and a switch blade co-operating therewith, of a latch mounted adjacent to each of the break jaw men'ibers, a pair of levers pivotally supported at opposite edges of the blade member adjacent to one end thereof, and means whereby the said latch levers alternately serve to move the latches out of the path of movement of the switch blade to either of its closed positions and to disengage said latches from the blade when the blade is being moved to open position.

7. The combination with a movable switch blade and a pair of contact jaws therefor, of a pair of movable latch members for retaining the switch blade in different operative POSltlOIlSJlDCl an operating member n'iovably carried by the switch blade for moving one latch to open position to permit entrance of the switch blade to one operative position and for moving the other latch to open position for permitting movement of the switch blade to inoperative position.

8. The combination with a movable switch blade and a contact jaw therefor, of a latch movable laterally across the path of movement of the switch blade and an operating member carried by the blade and movable across the path of movement of the latch for displacing the latch when the blade is moved into operative relation to the contact aw.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of October 1922.

ANDRETV H. BAKKEN. 

